


Thor the World of Pain

by BloodthirstyDucklings



Series: Fall of Heroes [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Asgard (Marvel), Blood and Violence, Dark Character, Dark Fantasy, End of the World, Gen, Loki Does What He Wants, Loki Has Issues, Marvel Norse Lore, Post-Battle of New York (Marvel), Sad Ending, Thor: The Dark World
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-29
Updated: 2017-03-31
Packaged: 2018-10-12 13:26:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10491870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BloodthirstyDucklings/pseuds/BloodthirstyDucklings
Summary: After bringing Loki to Asgard so that he can face his trials, Thor worries whether there can be reconciliation or not. The invasion of dark elves only worsened the matter. Can Thor unite the broken family, defeat Malekith the Accursed and prove himself as a king of all Nine Realms?





	1. Prodigal Son Returns

**Author's Note:**

> This is a (sort of) rewrite of Thor: the Dark World, arguably the worst installment in MCU. Plot points and characterization will be different, especially for Malekith and Algrim. Relationship shenanigans isn't really a focus in this work, and there is no sex. Basically, it's a fix-fic.

Chapter 1: Prodigal Son Returns.  
Asgard. The realm that is considered the most advanced of all the realms. The realm where the gods live. Or beings close to that. Asgardians never considered themselves gods, but the common people believed that they were divine beings, and they themselves believed that they were higher than other beings. It was true in the past. Now, humans forgot the, and monsters kept attacking. The family feud between Odin, Thor and Loki did not help. War raged on for eternity, especially after the Chitauri’s invasion on Midgard. Fortunately, by this point, the Bifrost was fixed, and Thor Odinson arrived, along with the Tesseract and Loki Laufeyson. 

Thor fought with warriors of Midgard, who were brave and formidable in his eyes. The battle was between Earth and Chitauri, which was a new race of aliens that even the veterans of Asgard are not aware of. City of New York, as Midgardians called it, was almost destroyed due to the alien invaders. They were relentless and brutal, but the defenders could achieve victory. And it was all because of Loki. In his desperate attempt to claim power over Nine Realms, he did the most unforgivable of acts, except for one. Thor only hoped that Midgard could recover soon, because if they didn’t… then they would die from other invaders, and Thor was sure that there must be other forces clamoring for Midgard.

It took only a few seconds to arrive on Asgard. As if, Bifrost pushed brothers into their home realm. The Guardian of Worlds, Heimdall, was waiting for them. “Greeting, Thor.” Heimdall was calm and collected as always. Even the sight of the traitor did not make him emotional. In fact, his expressions almost said apathy. He probably thought that showing any kind of emotion would do nothing but favor son of a frost giant. “Greeting, Heimdall”, - Thor said.

“I saw you fight for Midgard, along with Midgardians warriors. I must say, quite a handle of them dress… bizarrely.”

“They could say the same to us”, - said Thor. “They are of great fortitude, that’s for sure. They can stand on their own, or at least I hope. Is father waiting for us?”

"Yes, he is." Heimdall took the Tesseract under his protection.

Only Odin Allfather had the authority to decide what becomes of Loki Laufeyson. Thor expected that his father would be wrathful towards the God of Mischief. As for Thor himself… he was not sure. Yes, his brother did murder thousands just to satiate ego, but, Thor couldn’t help but feel that he was manipulated by forces greater than him. During the battle, God of Thunder noticed something was wrong about his brother. First, Loki would never show himself and boast in front of his enemies. Even when he became a king of Asgard and planned to destroy Yotunheim, Loki was careful. And… his green eyes turned blue. It was a symptom of those who was under the control of the scepter, which was now gone.   
Asgard was magnificent and grand, as always. Structures of gold and clean blue sky, with giant rivers running through the realm. For Thor, it was nothing special. The warrior and the prisoner finally stood in front of their father: Odin, along with his wife, Freyja. Freyja looked as beautiful as ever, while Odin was growing older and older, showing more weakness than strength. Still, he was a force to be reckoned with. Even now no one would think of facing the Allfather face to face and win. It was impossible.   
Loki was in front of his false father, chained by guards in golden armor. God of Mischief was grinning. He did just to put everyone off.

“Do you know why you are here, Loki?” Allfather said. There was no malice or wrath in his voice. Only serenity and wisdom. Thor was actually surprised, but relieved. 

“Yes, I do.” While Loki’s voice, on the other hand, showed nothing but contempt towards his ‘father’. He didn’t give anything to me… He only loved Thor and he ignored me… I just wanted to be accepted by you… These were Loki’s thoughts. “It is because I challenged your rule of the Nine Realms.”

“It is because you threatened the safety of Nine Realms by bringing in forces beyond your comprehension. Do you not realize the weight of your crimes?”

“Crime? Is it a crime when I prove my godhood?” Loki laughed across the hall. 

“We are not gods, and neither are you. We die, just like others.”

“Only after the end of Realms. All of you Asgardians say that you are not gods, yet you think that you are above all. Isn’t that being a god? These beasts were under my firm control, following the will of their rightful ruler.”

“And these beasts that you controlled brought nothing but death and blood. You did all of this to claim the throne, to rule all of Nine Realms?”

“What is wrong with it? I only tried to prove what was right. That I am a rightful god of all Realms”

Odin kept silent. It was clear that he was thinking about the criminal in front of him. He spoke:

“Send the traitor to dungeon, as for his final fate will be decided later.”

As Odin commanded, guards dragged Loki to his jail. Self-proclaimed god kept silent, only staring at bot Odin and Thor with contempt and wish to kill with his blue eyes. Thor sighed. He doubted the possibility of his brother’s redemption. His brother thought that slaughtering countless numbers of innocent humans was justified. Even though the chance of redemption was slim at best, Thunder God still hoped. That it would all come back to the better days, when they were not enemies… but brothers. Thor saw Freyja, and she saw him too. The son was sure that his mother would forgive his brother for his crimes. 

As Thor walked through the streets of Asgard, he heard most of the Asgardians talking about the traitor, Loki, and how he needs to be executed. They kept silent when Odinson approached. He was on his ways to meet Sif, the one he loved. They were separated for so long. He found her at the tavern, along with Hogun, Fandral and Volstagg. “Ey, Thor!” Three Warriors greet Odinson, all of them smiling. Even Hogun was smiling, who was the last person Thor expected to smile. And Sif. She was the person that Thor wanted to meet first, after Odin and Freyja. They haven’t seen each other since Thunder God was stuck on Earth and fought Chitauri. “Are you alright, Odinson?” She spoke with a formal and stern voice.

“We don’t have to be so formal each other, Sif, and yes, I’m fine.”  
“Lady Sif.”

“Ah, Sif. As always, so stern.”

“Agreed. She hasn’t eased herself even a bit. Lady Sif was always worried about you, speaking about you, muttering things like: “How’s my dear beloved…” Fandral was speaking, but Sif soon closed his mouth.

“My dear beloved? Did she really call me that?” Thor was in disbelief. There was no way that Sif would be calling him that. Even after they declared their love toward each other, she did not call him by any nickname. Only Odinson.

“I didn’t believe my ears either, but it is true that she called you ‘my dear beloved’”. Volstagg spoke. “Isn’t that right, Hogun?”

“Yes, she did indeed say that”. Hogun spoke almost quietly and with a serious face. Though Thor noticed that he barely kept himself from smiling. He was deliberately messing with Sif.

“So, how were the warriors of Midgard? I’ve heard from master Heimdall that they were fine warriors.” Volstagg asked with enthusiasm. Boisterous warrior was always interested in how warriors of other realms fought.

“And… what about the monsters? How they were like? What color of blood did they have?” It was Fandral asking a question. By this point, warriors were pretty much used to Fandral’s… peculiar fascination with enemies and what kind of blood hey had.

“Well, warriors of Midgard were formidable and… interesting, to say the least. Two of them had a weak flesh, but masterful skills with ranged weapons. One had a suit of armor that could do many things. I really can’t describe how it works, so my apologies regarding that. One used a shield as his weapon and one was green giant monster.”

(Volsagg)“Green giant monster? Did you fight with him? And who won?”

(Thor)“I did fight with him, but we could not determine the winner. When I can return to Midgard, I would gladly fight with him and determine who is the victor.”

(Fandral)“Count me in, Thor. I really want to meet him too.”

“I would rather not want you to fight with him, Fandral. He is actually a good and feeble man, who can transform into a green giant.”

(Hogun)“Interesting.” 

(Sif)”What is the environment like? I feel that what we saw was only a fracture of a full picture.”

(Thor)”And indeed it is. They have great cities round their Realm, though they are not as magnificent as Asgard’s. And the landscape, according to what I heard, is different depending on where it was situated. There are forests, deserts, oceans and other beautiful sights. There is much more to Midgard than I thought there would be. Certainly an interesting Realm.”

(Volstagg) ”And what about the food? The one I tasted was… exquisite.”

(Thor)”The food is worth the taste, though not of a great quantity as here. And I could eat the food called shawarma, so I can’t say much about it, I’m sorry. Ah, I wish I could bring you all to Midgard at some point. Show around the place and introduce you to the warriors I mentioned. They are called… Avengers.”

(Fandral)”Avengers? Peculiar name, it is. Do you know why they called themselves like that?”

(Thor)”No, I don’t. I wanted to ask them, but I had to bring Loki and Tesseract here. There was no time.”

(Hogun)”What of Loki? What did he do?”

Thor kept silent for a moment, but soon answered the question:

“He slaughtered countless of innocents with his army. That is his crime. I do not know what will become of him.”

No warrior spoke a word. Their expressions were grim. Volstagg, as if to elevate the mood, said: “Mealtime is coming closer, my fellow warriors!”

Mealtime came close, and five warriors enjoyed a feast. Thor missed the great quantity of food that was lacking in Earth. And the taste was good, too. Warriors laughed as they talked about battles fought in the absence of Odinson. It seemed wolves of Fenrir and the dead of Hel’s Realm assaulted Asgard. While it was certainly exciting for Thor to hear about Asgardians’ bravery, the fact that monsters started attacking Asgard more frequently worried Thor, making him not laughing as he would have otherwise.

After the meal, Thor and Sif sat beside the river, watching the skies while holding hands. Nobody saw them, so Sif could allow this moment. If there was even a crow watching them, then she would have refused to spend a moment like this one. “Sif, I want to ask you… Can I, or should I forgive my brother? I don’t know if there is a chance of redemption for him… But I’m sure that he was not in control of his actions, since something was not right with him. What do you think, beloved?”

Sif kept silent for a while, then she answered: “His crime is grave, that is a fact. And so, I don’t think so highly of your brother. But, you can forgive him. You should just not forget what he did. That… is all I can say. I’m sorry, Odinson.”

“Don’t be, beloved. I should solve this problem after all, not you. I just… needed something. Some confirmation. Thank you. And I shouldn’t have brought down the mood with this problem.”

Their eyes met each other… and their lips drew closer…

“It seems that you are spending a good time with you love, my son”. Freyja’s voice spoke. Thor almost jumped to the river, and so did Sif. “M…M…My lady!” Lady Sif bowed to Allmother Freyja. She smiled at them, so it definitely wasn’t to interrupt their time. Then why would she, or rather, her duplicate, come here. Thor asked himself.

“And, I’m sorry, my son. I should not have come here like this. You almost fell to a river.”

“Ah, mother. This is not the first time it happened, and you always said that you were going to fix this habit of yours.”

“I guess it can’t be fixed. Your father decided that Loki will not be executed.” She smiled, and Thor’s face brightened. “However, since he did commit a crime that could threaten all of Midgard, he will stay in dungeons. Allfather did it so that Loki would think about his mistake and try to redeem himself. And… he can’t escape, even if he wanted to. Allfather created a barrier that nullifies all magic inside the room. So, no tricks for him to use anymore.”

Thor was… satisfied. Visiting his brother and persuading him to atone for his crimes would help. As far as he was concerned, Thor thought that only support from his family could help Loki. 

There was still hope…


	2. Mother and Son

Chapter 2: Mother and Son.  
Loki was sitting in a cell of a dungeon. He could see a space beyond his room, but he couldn’t interact with it. The magic barrier that acted as a wall of the cell prevented Loki from using any kind of magic. Loki sighed, but he did not lose his smile. God of Mischief would escape eventually and he knew it. “Odin made a grave mistake in letting me live. He, of all people, should wish for my death. Yet… he didn’t. Why is that? What purpose does he have? Is it a part of his grand plan, like my adoption, using me as a tool again? Never. Not again. I will not comply with his plans…”

“Maybe it isn’t a plan.”

Freyja appeared in front of Loki, or rather, it was her duplicate. Loki learned magic from Freyja Allmother, and her magic was strong enough to negate the effects of average barriers. “Maybe Allfather loves you after all. Maybe he considers you as a son.”

“He is the one who adopted me, a frost giant, as a tool to be used for negotiations. At first, I was a fool to realize that there was even a slightest possibility for him to love me.” Loki laughed. “Now, I know better. It was only because of you that I was spared, wasn’t I? It can’t be any sort of plan, since frost giants now won’t listen to Asgard, and I am condemned among all denizens of Nine Realms. So, the only answer to why I was spared is because you, mother, persuaded him to let me live, right?”

“No, my son. It was Allfather’s own decision. At first, I feared that he would order your execution, but, after I talked with him, I realized that he spared you because you were his son, even after you almost destroyed Midgard.”

“Lies. You can say anything, but can you prove it?” Loki’s voice was calm, serene even. He was a liar himself, so he would know that people can lie about anything. He learned. He grew.

“Well, how about I show you this…” Freyja pulled out a golden device of some sort. Loki almost froze. This was a recorder. This device could record any conversation, and, if tinkered correctly, it could detect lies. The recorder showed a hologram of Odin and Freyja.

“My dear, why did you spare our son? I feared that you would execute him, yet you…”

“Loki was not himself. He was being controlled by forces beyond his power. His eyes were… different. And besides, Loki’s misdeeds… are ultimately my mistake, Freyja. I only saw him as a tool for negotiations with frost giants and… I was oblivious to the fact that he was still my son, even if he does not have my blood. It was foolish of me to ignore Loki and only favor Thor, when I should have been fair. As a father… I failed. I wish to repent for my mistakes, and I also hope that Loki will repent for his mistakes. Asgardians, as well as others will loathe Loki. It is up to us, his family, to support and make sure that he becomes…better.”

The record ended. It couldn’t be. Odin let go of his pride and admitted his mistake. Loki could not say anything. And he stood there, motionless. Tears were in his eyes, but they did not go out. His blue eyes turned green. “You should know that this recorder can’t be altered in any way. It only tells you a truth.” Loki saw hope in rebuilding and improving his relationship with his former family. There was a hope of reconciliation. 

Both brothers now had hope…


	3. Dawn of War

Chapter 3: Dawn of War.  
Thor Odinson was kneeling in front of his father, Odin Allfather. He called his son for a conversation. “What do you wish to talk about, father?”

“My dear Thor, I believe that… I am growing weak and foolish, and a king should be neither of these things. You, my son, on the other hand, have grown stronger and wiser. And I… wish to leave the throne to you.”

Thor remembered the last time he was about to be a king. He was brash, arrogant and a fool back then. When frost giants infiltrated Asgard and took the Casket, instead of proving himself as a true successor to the throne, he acted like a brute with no wisdom. And that incident made Thor doubt whether he deserved to be a king or not. “No, father. I have still much to learn. Although I have learned from my mistakes, I am still far from a wise man I need to be. I…”

The sound of the drums were heard across the whole Asgard. It was an invasion, but by whom? Frost giants again? Or something else entirely? Thor, with his Mjolnir, flew outside and saw dark elves invading assaulting Asgard. “How… did they come here? Heimdall should have told us about this by now!” - Thor thought. Thor heard the stories about cruelty of dark elves… and the atrocities they were committing now far exceeded the stories. The invaders cut the Asgardians piece by piece with their spiked swords, they dragged the women out and sliced their bellies. Some of them were vomiting blood mixed with poison and collapsed on the floor. Asgard’s street was soon covered in blood. And the mad laughter was heard all over the Realm. These monsters wore a smiling mask that had black liquid coming out of its eyes. And Thor watched in horror. He never saw anything like this. Never.

Elves were dragging some Asgardians, mostly women. Thor began killing dark elves to save his people. He saw that their weapons were covered in poison, so taking damage was not an option. He threw his hammer. His weapon hit all of the dark elves in his vicinity, while the Thunder God himself was evading the poisonous attacks. The woman lay on the floor and the prince approached her. “You’re not hurt… Good. Run towards the Bunker as fast as you can.” Bunker was a place where Asgardians who could not fight gathered in times of war. “How could these elves have struck that quickly? Unless…” Thor realized: that the only way these elves could have invaded Asgard that quickly was teleportation, powered by a powerful artifact. And that meant… they must be already in the palace now. Before he went to the palace, he found Sif. “Are you hurt, my dear?”

“I’m fine, Odinson. It seems that you are not hurt as well. What are these monsters?”

“Dark elves. They are infamous for their cruelty and malice. Quick, you have to gather Fandral, Volstagg and Hogun so that you can save other Asgardians.”

“What about you?”

“I have to go to the palace. Be safe, my love.”

“You too.”

Thor flew towards the palace and his fears came true: they were already attacking. Elite guards were barely holding the attack. Odinson was quick to intervene. The Thunder God was fast and brutal with his attacks. He quickly diminished elves’ numbers along with the guards. The entrance was secure, for now. But most of the guards were poisoned, screaming in agony and vomiting blood. “Are there any more dark elves inside the palace?”

“Their leader and his… beast already went inside… We tried, but… they were too powerful. And most of them appeared inside the palace.”

“Was their leader bearing some powerful artifact?”

“I’m not sure, Your Highness, but… he holds great power.”

“Thank you. Stay here and tend the wounded. Call the sorcerers for reinforcements. Protect Asgard with your lives”. The prince hoped for the best and headed towards the throne room. His father should be fighting… And, as Thor expected, Odin Allfather was decimating the dark elves in the throne room. As monstrous as these elves were, they were no match for the power of Odin. A flash of light from Gungnir decimated all of the elves. ‘Father! Are you alright?”

“Of course I am, my son. Dark elves have already infiltrated the castle and the whole Asgard. You must go and protect Loki, as well as the Tesseract. I will repel the invasion.”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Malekith lived for this moment. He always had a dream of invading Asgard and watching their denizens suffer. “Algrim, would you kindly look for Loki Laufeyson and the Tesseract? I’m too bothered to go after him myself, so I leave it in your trusty hands.” Malekith gave him some form of device. There was not even an ounce of seriousness in his voice. It was a great party for him and his species. Algrim, nodding, rushed towards the dungeons. “Jester, go after Algrim and snatch the Tesseract if anything goes wrong. Loki can wait. Tesseract is the priority.” Jester, wearing a mask of wicked happiness, went after the brute, laughing across the palace. Malekith twitched his fingers and saw dark red energy emitting from his hands. He already got hands on Aether, an artifact of great power. The leader of dark elves was wearing a half of a mask, smiling. Unlike other elves’ masks, his was clean. Except for the blood of an Asgardian on his face. “Guards, go out there do what you want. I have one thing here to do.”

Malekith was far away from the throne room, heading for a particular place… Garden of Freyja. The Allmother was already waiting for Malekith. “Freyja Allmother! It is pleasant for me to see you here! In time of such a great feast, women of a great beauty such as you are always welcome.”

“Malekith the Accursed! How are you still…” Fear was in her voice, and she started to back away from a dark elf.

“You should know the answer. Legends and tales that Bor Burison defeated the monstrous and hideous Malekith the Accursed and his army of dark elves with their might and bravery, saving all Nine Realms from elves’ malice. But, am I monstrous? Because, as far as I am concerned, I’m not hideous at all. Oh, sure, the blood on my face might unsettle some, but it’s a decoration of a purest form of art: pain. Right, pain is the most beautiful thing that exists in this universe. Screams of agony, acts of despair and spilt blood is always the most interesting thing to watch. So, where was I? Oh, how I survived… you should know the answer…” Malekith released the souls of his victims, now malicious wraiths. Wraiths tore Freyja apart, only to see that she was a duplicate. The duplicate dissipated into the light. Malekith only laughed. “Oh, you almost tricked me here, and I was afraid that it would go too easy. After all, the title of Allmother must mean something.” Freyja appeared out of thin air, and summoned golden sword and shield, while Malekith constructed a threaded cane out of the soul of his victim. “Shall we have some fun, Freyja?” The dark elf grinned.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------  
Loki heard the screams of pain. He wondered what kind of monsters attacked. Normally, Asgardians would roar like bulls in sight of their enemies, but what Loki heard was fear itself. But he wouldn’t care less. He only worries about the safety of his mother, and maybe Odin and Thor. While he was sitting in his cell, the hole in the wall appeared. Some giant dark elf broke the wall. He put the device on his hands on a ward and the dark energy started to disintegrate the wall. Loki, after the ward disappeared, stepped out of his cell. “Well, you have my thanks. Now, what do you want from me?” 

“Where is the Tesseract?”

Loki childishly pointed at the direction of the blue artifact. 

“You should come with me, too.”

Loki kept silent, but soon spoke:

“Alright, if you insist.”

Loki knew that Thor would come to secure the Tesseract. Watching these two would have been interesting. If Thor was about to lose, then he would come down and assist. And then he would be accepted without too much annoyance by Asgardians. Loki led the giant dark elf to the Tesseract. He remembered that he used this to summon his army of Chitauri warriors. As expected, the artifact was sealed with a powerful magic ward, and Algrim used the device he used on cell’s ward on this one. The process of destruction took longer than previous time. And, in the nick of time, Thor Odinson arrived, as Loki expected. He soon disappeared so that Thor couldn’t notice his presence. “Powerful warrior… I shall prove my strength…” Algrim muttered at the sight of Thor. Thor struck down a lightning towards the dark elf, but it was no use. There was no harm done. Algrim charged at Thor and knocked him to the wall. It was done at an incredible speed; even Loki was surprised. Thro coughed blood and laughed. “You’re a strong warrior indeed. But…” Son of Odin struck the dark elf with Mjolnir, with Algrim falling on the floor at the strike. “I’m Thor, Son of Odin. As such, I yield the might far exceeding yours. Now, come at me, elf!” Lightning covered Thor’s whole body and wind whirled in his presence. This was the might of the Thunder God. But Algrim did not cower. Instead, he stood up like a mountain. Both warriors stared at each other… and began to fight. “Oh, this looks surely exciting”, - Loki thought.

Both of them were of almost equal strength, with Son of Odin holding an edge over Algrim. But to say the elf was weak would be a lie. He wielded both great strength and great fortitude. They traded blows at a speed of wind and the might of a mountain. “This is better than I expected!” – Loki thought. Dueling warriors stopped for a second. They drew their breath, and commenced the battle again. Algrim used his knee to kick the Thunder God with all his might. Thor coughed blood. He was already tattered, his armor becoming duller. Thor was close to his limit, as he faced one of the most powerful foe he had ever faced. Then, the dark elf pinned him to the wall and started to choke the Asgardian. “Damn. I didn’t expect Thor to be so weak.” Loki prepared his knives and was about to strike Algrim’s back. But he stopped… and retreated, leaving a small piece of equipment in the process. Only Loki noticed it.As soon as Algrim escaped the room the smoke covered the whole room, and, after the smoke was gone, both of them saw that the Tesseract was missing. One of the dark elves took it. Thor quickly flew out of this room. “What should I do now?” – Loki thought. “Oh, that’s right! That equipment the elf left behind.” He reappeared in the room and took the piece. But as soon as he touched it, Loki was no longer in this room. He was being teleported somewhere.

Odinson saw that the dark elves were retreating, most of them having at least one hostage. They teleported out of this Realm. Thor saw that most of the Asgard was covered in blood and poison. It was a victory, but a victory with a heavy price. Thor planned to check on his mother first. He flew to her garden and he saw her… dead. She was cut apart by pieces, and the garden was covered with her blood. Odin Allfather was cradling her head, crying. Thor Odinson collapsed on his knees and screamed.


	4. Freyja's Death

Chapter 4: Freyja  
The sound of metal hitting each other echoed through the garden. Freyja fought with graceful strength, while Malekith was erratic with his attacks. Like a snake moving through the forest. Dark elf never lost his malicious grin, and Freyja never lost her composure and serenity. As the battle went on, Malekith got more injuries, until he could no longer fight. The leader of elves was on his knees, ever still grinning. Allmother stabbed his head without a mercy. Malekith lay on the ground as smiling corpse. The battle will soon be over, Freyja thought.

Thor and Loki arrived at the garden. “Oh, my sons, are you alright?” Freyja hugged her sons, and they answered: “Yes…”

They both stabbed Freyja, and the brothers soon started to transform into Malekith. “Mother…” – finished Malekith. Freyja collapsed on the ground with her eyes open and blood spilling from her wounds. His corpse and his duplicate disintegrated into ash.

Malekith laughed. For him, this was the art itself. “This… is perfect. I managed to outdo myself this time. And this is only the beginning…” The Accursed touched his half mask and said: “Algrim, retreat. The battle is over, and the victory is achieved. Don’t worry about the Tesseract, the Jester will get it. Now, would you kindly leave your teleport device so that Loki can notice it? He is a deceptive one, but also curious. He may not be with you right now, but he will be watching you, and when you leave the device, he will notice. You can use other elves’ teleportation device, so don’t worry. I just need you to retreat right now. To all elves on the Asgard… retreat. And don’t forget to take Jester and Algrim with you.” Malekith soon used his tools to decorate the garden with Freyja. He laughed at his despicable creation. “Oh, when Thor and Odin get to see this… I wonder how they will react?” Malekith used his teleportation device, still laughing, to go to his Realm: Svartalfheim.


	5. Demand for Blood and Head

Chapter 5: Demand for Blood and Head  
Thor walked through the streets of torn Asgard. Blood and poison was its decoration, corpses were mangled and twisted like dolls. Sorcerers were trying to heal the wounded, children cried over their father’s death and the blue sky turned grey. Thor approached the crying children. There was no mother. “Your father died a great warrior. Never forget his sacrifice…” He said it with a hollow voice. Odinson’s voice did not have a strength that there used to be. Thor picked up the corpse and carried it to Valhalla. On the way, Thor met Fandral and Sif. “Are you alright? Are you not injured?”

“Fine, as always. Shame I couldn’t slash more of these dark elves. Those monsters surely deserved it.” Hatred burned in Fandral’s eyes, while he himself was grinning.

“I’m… also fine…” Sif looked distraught. She was covered with dirt and blood, her voice and eyes not showing any valor or strength, but sense of defeat. Sif sat on the floor. It looked like she was collapsing. “Why? Just… why?” She whispered to herself.   
“Where are Volstagg and Hogun?”

(Sif) “They are carrying the dead to Valhalla for the burial. It seems you are also…”

Thor nodded. Female warrior soon stood up and followed Thor for the burial, carrying another dead warrior on her back. Soon, they met up with Volstagg and Hogun, who were also helping with the burial. There were no words. There could be no words.

Night arrived, with Odin in front of the crowd of Asgardians. Thor, Heimdall and Sif stood beside Allfather. They were all in front of the lake that led into nowhere, and boats with corpses were floating on the river. The king of Asgard fired an arrow of fire, which multiplied into thousands in mid-air. Arrows hit all of the boats, and they were engulfed in flames. Soon after, small lights rose from the bodies. One of them stood in particular with its golden color. It was Freyja’s soul. Thor could barely keep his tears from falling off. Sif held Thor’s hand gently. 

After the burial was over, in the room where they were alone, Thor and Sif hugged each other. They needed each other. “Will you… stay with me for eternity, Sif?”

“… Always. I will never leave your side, even if fate itself will tear us apart from each other.”

“…”

The room was filled with silence. 

“So many of us... died… and many lost their families… When will this war stop? When can we achieve peace? At least for once…”

Sif was on a verge of tears. Thor held her and said:

“I promise, I will bring peace to Asgard and all Nine Realms. I promise…”

“But can I?” Doubt filled Thor’s mind. “I’m not a wise prince that I need to be. I made mistakes that brought peril and destruction to Asgard. Am I supposed to be a king? Do I deserve to be a king?” These were the questions that Thor could not answer. 

Son of Odin stood in front of his father. Odin called him so that he could announce something. The king was restless. His eye looked frantic and he barely kept his composure.

“Malekith the Accursed took the lives of many Asgardians. He tortured their souls and left their family and home in ruins. Warriors died an undignified death. And, he took my dear Freyja. Dark elves must be purged from the universe. All of Asgardian army will march towards Svartalfheim and destroy these monsters. Tomorrow.

“No… Father, this is madness! Our warriors still need medical care, Asgard itself is yet to be rebuilt. Also, this is precisely what Malekith envisions. He wants us to act irrationally and assault Svartalfheim so that he can annihilate us completely!” Thor found it strange that dark elves left as soon as they killed Freyja. They could have easily killed both Thor and Odin with the power of Aether. Unless… it was a plan. A plan for Malekith to lure Asgardian Army into a trap and exterminate all of them. Besides, they already have two powerful artifacts at their disposal. Their combined might can bring destruction of unlimited proportions. 

“Enough! Elves’ blood is what right now all Asgardians desire. And, Loki, the criminal, is missing. It is undoubtedly his doing that resulted in Tesseract’s missing, as well as Freyja’s death!”

“No, father, please listen to reason!”

“I demand Loki Laufeyson’s head! I gave him a chance… and he denied it himself. There can be no mercy as of now!” Odin laughed. It was clear for Thor that his father lost himself. Son of Odin left Odin’s throne room. The king’s mad laughter echoed across all Valhalla. “How can I save Asgard from its destruction? If I let my father commence his assault, there will be no hope for Asgard… Our Realm is too weak right now to do anything, but we can’t leave dark elves alone. They have two artifacts with immense power, and they are planning to commit countless atrocities with this power, I’m sure. Maybe… I and my friends should go there? We are warriors of great might. None of us were injured during the siege. Besides, a small band of warriors is less noticeable than a whole army. This will make marching an army unnecessary, thus preventing further bloodshed.” I have to talk to my friends about this.”

Thor believed that this was the best way to save Asgard from its fall. At least, it seemed so…


End file.
